102 



The exhibit was run entirely with volun- 

 teer help, consisting of students who were 

 taking our course in apiculture at the uni- 

 versity, and other people interested in the 

 study of bees. Mr. A. C. Earl, a real-estate 

 man, but a lover of bees, gave three half- 

 days a week to it. Mr. E. H. Mosher, 

 Principal of Emerson Public School in 

 Berkeley, devoted considerable time to it 

 simply because he was interested from the 

 schoolroom point of view, and was much 

 pleased Avith the results. Among those es- 

 pecially interested, I may also mention Mr. 

 Augustus Downing, Assistant Commission- 

 er of Education in the State of New York, 

 who has expressed himself to me as very 

 desirous of introducing the system into the 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



public schools of New York. The exhibit 

 was also visited by many of the prominent 

 beekeepers of the United States and other 

 countries, all exjjressing themselves as much 

 pleased with it. Mr. E. R. Root, editor of 

 GLEANINGS;, has taken a special interest in 

 it, and my thanks are due him for kindly 

 assistance in connection with it. 



The exhibit has also afforded a good 

 opportunity for handing out literature re- 

 garding our courses in apiculture, bulletins, 

 etc., and of securing a large list of names 

 and addresses of people intei'ested in bees. 



The exhibit was awarded a gold medal by 

 the International Jury of Awards. 



[See editorial comment elsewhere.] 



A NEW CURE FOR EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD 



BY TIMBERLINE RIGGS 



In attempting to treat any disease one 

 must first understand as fully as possible 

 (he nature and cause of the trouble itself. 

 Without taking up too much space I shall, 

 therefore, give a few of my views concern- 

 ing European foul brood. If necessary I 

 believe I can find facts to support these 

 views. 



Very near all of us have some theory or 

 belief as to the method by which European 

 foul brood spreads in a yard. I believe the 

 most common theory, and the one which to 

 me seemed most reasonable, is that it is com- 

 municated mainly by drifting nurse bees, 

 Ihe infection being contained in the food 

 they prepare for the brood. As I understand 

 the disease, in an infected apiary practical- 

 ly every colony is continually exposed to 

 infection — of course to a greater or less ex- 

 tent, those with the most vitality being able 

 to withstand it, and those with insufficient 

 sti-ength contracting the disease. The fact 

 that many colonies, particularly the strong 

 ones, are able to clean up European foul 

 brood without any treatment would seem to 

 support this. 



In order for the disease to get a start, 

 our bees must in some manner become 

 weakened in vitality. Of course some stocks 

 are naturally of low vitality ; but any stock 

 may become weakened temporarily. A 

 knowledge of European foul brood and the 

 habits of the honeybee, I believe, give us 

 the following facts: 



In the spring, colonies come out of the 

 winter weak in numbers, and depleted in 

 stores and vitality — in fact, at about the 

 lowest ebb of the season. Nature at this 

 time supplies them with the instinct for 



brood-rearing, possibly, more strongly than 

 at any other time. Under this impulse the 

 bees raise all the brood they possibly can 

 gather stores for, keep warm, and take care 

 of, spreading themselves to the absolute 

 limit of their brood-rearing capacity, of 

 course the weather compelling them to keep 

 no larger brood-nest than they can keep 

 warm. With a very lai'ge brood-nest, such 

 as is supplied in modern apiaries, almost 

 invariably this period of brood-rearing 

 must last longer than with a smaller breed- 

 ing-room. 



At this time it is quite reasonable to suiJ- 

 pose that the bees do not feed their bi'ood 

 a bit more lavishly than is absolutely neces- 

 sary. Tlie honeybee is extremely provident 

 and economical except in times of prosper- 

 ity. With all the brood they can care for, 

 and in a slight dearth of pollen or nectar, 

 it is quite possible a lot of brood does not 

 get all it really needs for its best develop- 

 ment. This, it seems to me, must result in 

 lowered vitality. We get inferior develop- 

 ment and vitality in any of our domestic 

 or other, animals if neglected as to food or 

 other necessaries at any time during the 

 pex-iod of its growth, and my experience 

 tells me it is the same with bees. 



Coincidentally you will find that it is at 

 practically tliis very time that European 

 foul brood does its worst damage. You will 

 also find that increase or any Aveak colony 

 at any period when the bees are spreading 

 their brood as much as possible is quite 

 subject to the disease. A colony that has 

 reached its capacity for brood-rearing when 

 there is an abundance of nurse-bees to take 

 care of the brood seldom shows the disease 



